Wednesday, January 20

In my last post I mentioned that when I was a child I felt sorry for kids whose moms made "meat and potatoes" dinners. That was until I heard of moms who were vegetarians. I thought that was tragic.

I think I was about eleven when I discovered vegetarianism from a student teacher who was raising her children to be vegetarians. No hamburgers on the grill? No hot dogs at baseball games? No chicken parm sandwiches on Sunday night? What kind of a mother does that to her children? I wondered. If it weren't for my mom's meatball sandwiches, I don't think I would have made it through middle school.

Then one day several years later, I did the unthinkable. I became a vegetarian; not because I wanted to ruin my children's lives (I don't have children), but because of an unfortunate incident with some tainted chicken. I didn't eat meat for years after that.

I do eat meat now, but I still love vegetarian meals which I eat several times a week. And since I'm featuring one-pot meals this week, I want to share my recipe for Mediterranean Vegetable Stew with Olives. For those of you who wonder whether or not a vegetable stew can be as satisfying as beef stew, I'm telling you, Yes, it can. Since it's loaded with fiber-rich vegetables and high-protein cannelini beans, this vegetable stew is filling yet low-cal and healthy. It's reminiscent of eggplant caponata, but has more layers of flavor since it's got licorice-scented fennel and briny Kalamata and Cerignola olives. I don't have to tell you to sop up the juices with good, crusty Italian bread.

I don't miss the meat in this vegetable stew at all. Of course, I don't plan on giving up my mom's meatball sandwiches. That would be tragic.

31 comments:

My dad has always been a vegetarian so I grew up with diversity from my moms kitchen. I couldn't give up meat and fish altogether but it's wonderful to balance out our menu with wonderful dishes like this one Susan.

I do enjoy meatless meals every now and again too -- not out of guilt or whatever, but it makes me feel refreshed. Of course I could never do without the occasional steamed pork bun :) This stew would also do a good job of satisfying my hunger pangs!

I never even met a vegetarian until we moved to Florida. I remember feeling the same way as you. My mother used to pack meatball subs and sausage and pepper sandwiches in my lunchbox, while all the other kids got peanut butter and jelly. She occasionally broke down and made veggie stews like this, and they were always enjoyed and appreciated. Your stew looks lovely and satisfying!

My husband still wrinkles his nose at the idea of vegetarian anything. (He does love my vegetarian chili though...sometimes I can win him over!) I would LOVE this stew - I should make it just for me! (hubby won't be keen on the eggplant. Or olives. Boo.) Sounds so veggie-packed and delicious.

I've developed LESS of a taste for meat as I've gotten older, but likely it's due to being much more aware of just how fulfilling a meat-less meal can be. Mike and I would go nearly meat-free if it wasn't for the Little Carnivore. We could survive on fish for protein and occasional chicken. Love this stew recipe!